Metropolitan line

Metropolitan line
A train is slowing to stop at a platform on the right. Although there is a roof, sunlight can be seen through gaps; another platform and track can be seen on left. People are standing or walking on both platforms.
Overview
Type Sub-surface
System London Underground
Stations 34
Ridership 66.8 million (2011/12)[1] passenger journeys
Colour on map Magenta
Website http://tfl.gov.uk
Operation
Opened 10 January 1863
Depot(s) Neasden
Rolling stock S Stock (8 carriages per trainset)
Technical
Line length 67 km (42 mi)
Track gauge 4 ft 8 12 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Transport for London rail lines
London Underground
Bakerloo
Central
Circle
District
Hammersmith & City
Jubilee
Metropolitan
Northern
Piccadilly
Victoria
Waterloo & City
Other lines
Docklands Light Railway
Tramlink
Overground
TfL Rail

The Metropolitan line is a London Underground line that runs from Aldgate, in the City of London, to Amersham and Chesham in Buckinghamshire, with branches to Watford in Hertfordshire, and Uxbridge in the London Borough of Hillingdon. Coloured magenta (Pantone 235) on the tube map, the line is 41.4 miles (66.7 km) in length and serves 34 stations. The section between Aldgate and Baker Street is shared with the Circle and Hammersmith & City lines; that between Rayners Lane and Uxbridge with the Piccadilly line; and that between Harrow-on-the-Hill and Amersham with Chiltern Railways. Just under 67 million passenger journeys were made on the line in 2011/12. The line is one of only two London Underground lines to cross the Greater London boundary, the other being the Central line.

In 1863 the Metropolitan Railway began the world's first underground railway between Paddington and Farringdon Street with wooden carriages and steam locomotives, but its most important route became the line north into the Middlesex countryside, where it stimulated the development of new suburbs. Harrow was reached in 1880, and the line extended as far as Verney Junction in Buckinghamshire, more than 50 miles (80 km) from Baker Street. From the end of the 19th century, the railway shared tracks with the Great Central Railway route out of Marylebone. The central London lines were electrified by 1907, but electric locomotives were exchanged for steam locomotives on trains heading north of Harrow. After the railway was absorbed by the London Passenger Transport Board in 1933 the line was cut back to Aylesbury. Steam trains ran until 1961, when the line was electrified to and services curtailed at Amersham. The Hammersmith & City line was shown on the tube map as part of the Metropolitan line until 1990, when it appeared as a separate line. The current S Stock trains entered service between 2010 and 2012.

The track is underground between Aldgate and Finchley Road; unlike the tube railways, the tunnels are just below the surface (cut and cover) and of similar size to those for mainline trains. Baker Street is the central London terminus for some trains, others continuing to Aldgate in the City. Most of the route is two tracks, except for the single-track Chesham branch and a four-track section between Wembley Park and Moor Park that allows fast services to overtake slower trains. There are also four tracks between Wembley Park and Finchley Road, but the inner pair of tracks was transferred to the Bakerloo line in 1939, then to the Jubilee line in 1979, the trains on these lines calling at all stations. The Metropolitan line runs on the outer fast lines. The disused Metropolitan line platforms at Willesden Green and Neasden are still in place despite Metropolitan line services having been withdrawn in 1940.

The Watford branch is due to be diverted to Watford Junction, resulting in the closure of Watford station and the opening of two new stations.The extension will link up with the London Overground Watford DC Line. The Metropolitan line will provide interchange with the Overground at Watford High Street before terminating at Watford Junction providing interchange with the West Coast Main Line. Construction is due to begin in 2016 and be completed by 2020.

History

Metropolitan Railway

Main article: Metropolitan Railway
Construction of the Metropolitan Railway close to King's Cross station in 1861

The Metropolitan Railway (also known as the Met) was a passenger and goods railway that served London from 1863 to 1933, its main line heading north-west from the City to what were to become the Middlesex suburbs. Its first line connected the mainline railway termini at Paddington, Euston and King's Cross to the City, built beneath the New Road using the cut-and-cover method between Paddington and King's Cross, and in tunnel and cuttings beside Farringdon Road from King's Cross to near Smithfield. It opened on 10 January 1863 with gas-lit wooden carriages hauled by steam locomotives, the world's first underground railway.[2][3] In 1871, when plans were presented for an underground railway in Paris, it was called the Métropolitain in imitation.[4] The modern word metro is a short form of the French word.

The railway was soon extended from both ends and northwards via a branch from Baker Street. It reached Hammersmith in 1864 and Richmond in 1877, and completed the Inner Circle in 1884,[5] but the most important route became the line north into the Middlesex countryside, where it stimulated the development of new suburbs. Harrow was reached in 1880, and the line extended as far as Verney Junction in Buckinghamshire, more than 50 miles (80 kilometres) from Baker Street. From the end of the 19th century, the railway shared tracks with the Great Central Railway route out of Marylebone.[6]

Electric traction was introduced in 1905 with electric multiple units operating between Uxbridge, Harrow-on-the-Hill and Baker Street. To remove steam and smoke from the tunnels in central London, the railway purchased electric locomotives, exchanged for steam locomotives at Harrow from 1908.[7] In 1910, a seventeen-minute silent film recording was made showing large portions of the journey from Baker Street to Aylesbury and Uxbridge, seen from the cab of a train. The film survives and is publicly available.[8]

Unlike other railways in the London area, the Met developed land for housing, thus benefitting from the increase in the value of its land caused by the building of the railway. After World War I it promoted its housing estates near the railway with the "Metro-land" brand.

To improve services, more powerful electric and steam locomotives were purchased in the 1920s. A short branch opened from Rickmansworth to Watford in 1925. After World War I, the 4-mile (6.4 km) Stanmore branch was built from Wembley Park.[9]

London Transport

Electric Locomotive No.12 "Sarah Siddons" seen at a heritage event at Amersham in 2008

On 1 July 1933 the Metropolitan was amalgamated with other Underground railways, tramway companies and bus operators to form the London Passenger Transport Board, and a period of rationalisation followed. While the Metropolitan was run as an outer suburban route with steam-hauled trains and goods services, the LPTB wished to focus on electrified trains and suburban traffic. Goods services were passed to the London and North Eastern Railway, which also took over the role of providing steam locomotives for trains beyond the end of electrification at Rickmansworth. All services north-west of Aylesbury were withdrawn by 1936[10] though services returned to Quainton Road between 1943 and 1948.[11]

The 1930s was a period of rapid growth for the north-western suburbs of London, and LPTB developed ambitious plans to simplify the Metropolitan line and expand capacity. Several stations on the Uxbridge branch were rebuilt, replacing temporary wooden buildings with modernist designs and giving Uxbridge station a new site in the town centre. A major bottleneck in the line, the double-track tunnel from Baker Street to Finchley Road, was bypassed by boring two tube tunnels underneath the Metropolitan tunnels, transferring slow services and the Stanmore branch to the Bakerloo line.[12] (This route was transferred to the Jubilee line in 1979.)[13] In 1936 the line was extended east from Whitechapel to Barking along the tracks of the District line.[14] London Transport inherited a number of incompatible electric multiple units from the railway, including the 1927–33 multiple-unit compartment stock used on routes to Watford and Rickmansworth, and these were refurbished to form a uniform fleet and designated London Underground T Stock.[15] In the 1950s, F Stock trains, with sliding doors under the control of the guard, were transferred from the District line; these mainly worked the semi-fast Harrow and Uxbridge services.[16]

A major rebuilding of the main line from Wembley Park to Amersham was planned in the 1930s but delayed by the war. The line from Wembley to Harrow was rebuilt immediately after the war and the project was completed from 1956-1962, on a more modest scale than originally planned. Until 1961, passenger trains continued to be attached to a steam locomotive at Rickmansworth to run to Aylesbury. The rebuilding electrified the line from Rickmansworth to Amersham, transferring all Aylesbury services to British Railways. A pair of fast lines was added from Harrow to north of Moor Park by 1962, allowing outer-suburban trains to run fast to Moor Park.[17] Aluminium A stock, originally unpainted, replaced the T stock and locomotive-hauled trains. More A Stock trains were built in 1962–63 to replace the trains on the Uxbridge service, giving the main line a single train type for all services. A Stock was 4-car units that could operate as four- or eight-car trains;[18] normally operated as eight cars, a 4-car unit operated the Chesham shuttle.[19] One person operation of the trains was proposed in 1972, but due to conflict with the trades unions was not introduced on the line until 1986.[20]

A separate identity

A Stock vehicles at Rayners Lane in their original unpainted livery

Although the East London line had been an isolated shuttle since 1939,[14] it was shown on London Underground maps as part of the Metropolitan line until 1968.[21] In 1970 it was shown with a thin white line in the middle and labelled the "East London section".[22] By the 1985 map it had become the "East London Line", remaining the same colour as the Metropolitan line with a white line in the middle,[23] changed to orange by the 1990 map.[24] In 1990 the Hammersmith & City line became a separate line from Hammersmith to Whitechapel (Barking during the peak), the Metropolitan line being from Aldgate to Baker Street and northwards to Amersham with branches to Uxbridge and Watford.[14][24]

In 2003, the infrastructure was partly privatised in a public–private partnership managed by the Metronet consortium. Metronet went into administration in 2007 and Transport for London took over responsibilities.[25]

On 12 December 2010 the service to Amersham was reduced from four trains per hour to two, and a direct service between Chesham and central London was introduced, replacing the 4-car Chesham to Chalfont & Latimer shuttle.[26] The final passenger services operated by the A Stock ran on 26 September 2012,[27] followed by a ticketed public railtour on 29 September.[28]

Route

Map

The route of the Metropolitan line through the Greater London Boroughs and the English Counties of Hertfordshire and Buckinghamshire. More details of the route between Baker Street and Aldgate are shown at Circle line: Map.

Railway line

Metropolitan line

Dates relate to Metropolitan Railway operations
Legend
Circle line via Tower Hill
Aldgate
Hammersmith & City line to Barking
Joint section - Circle and H&C lines
Liverpool Street Central line (London Underground) Hammersmith & City Line London Overground Crossrail National Rail
Moorgate Northern Line National Rail
Barbican

Farringdon National Rail
King's Cross St. Pancras Northern Line Piccadilly Line Victoria Line National Rail
Euston Square
Great Portland Street
Jubilee line to Stratford
Circle and H&C lines to Hammersmith

Baker Street Bakerloo Line Circle line (London Underground) Hammersmith & City Line Jubilee Line
Non-stop section

Regent's Canal
Lord's 1868-1939
St. John's Wood (Jubilee Line)
Marlborough Road 1868-1939
West Coast Main Line
Watford DC Line

Swiss Cottage (Jubilee Line) 1868-1940
London to Aylesbury Line
to Marylebone
Finchley Road Jubilee Line
Non-stop section

West Hampstead (Jubilee Line London Overground) 1879-1940
North London Line
Kilburn (Jubilee Line) 1879-1940

Willesden Green (Jubilee Line)
Dollis Hill (Jubilee Line) 1909-1940
Dudding Hill Line

Neasden (Jubilee Line)

Chiltern Main Line
River Brent
Wembley Park Jubilee Line

former Stanmore branch

 now Jubilee line

Kingsbury 1932-1939
Queensbury 1934-1939
Canons Park 1932-1939
Stanmore 1932-1939

Preston Road (original site) 1908-1932
Preston Road

West Coast Main Line
Bakerloo and Watford DC Lines

Northwick Park
Harrow-on-the-Hill National Rail

West Harrow

Piccadilly line via Acton Town
Rayners Lane Piccadilly Line
Eastcote
Ruislip Manor
Ruislip
Ickenham
Hillingdon (original site) 1923-1992
Hillingdon
Uxbridge depot
Uxbridge (original site) 1904-1938
Uxbridge
North Harrow
Pinner
Northwood Hills
Northwood
Moor Park
River Colne
River Gade

Grand Junction Canal

Watford curve
Croxley

future Croxley Rail Link

Cassiobridge
Watford Vicarage Road

West Coast Main/Watford DC Lines
Watford High Street
Watford Junction

West Coast Main Line

Watford
River Chess
Rickmansworth
M25 motorway
Chorleywood
Chalfont & Latimer National Rail

Chesham
Amersham National Rail

to Verney Junction
& Brill branch
Great Missenden 1892-1961
Wendover 1892-1961
Stoke Mandeville 1892-1961
Aylesbury (original site) 1892-1893
Aylesbury 1894-1961
River Thame
Waddesdon 1897-1936
Quainton Road
1896-1936
1943-1948
Quainton Road (original site) 1891-1896
former Great Central Railway route
Granborough Road 1891-1936
Winslow Road 1891-1936
former Varsity Line to Bletchley
Verney Junction 1891-1936
former Varsity Line to Oxford
Waddesdon Road 1899-1935
Westcott 1899-1935
Wotton 1899-1935
Wood Siding 1899-1935
Brill 1899-1935

The Metropolitan line is 42 miles (67 km) long and serves 34 stations.[29] It is electrified with a four-rail DC system: a central conductor rail is energised at –210 V and a rail outside the running rail at +420 V, giving a potential difference of 630 V.[30] The first 6 miles (9.7 km) from Aldgate are below ground,[31] shared with the Circle and Hammersmith & City lines to Baker Street, where the line diverges, remaining in tunnel until Finchley Road.[32] Between Finchley Road and Wembley Park the line runs parallel to the Jubilee line, the tracks being paired by direction, with cross-platform interchange at the two stations. At Wembley Park the Jubilee line diverges to the Stanmore branch at a grade-separated junction. From just after Finchley Road these four tracks run parallel with the Network Rail Chiltern Main Line from Marylebone.[32]

Between Wembley Park and Harrow-on-the-Hill the Metropolitan is four-track, with fast and slow lines paired by direction, paralleling the two-track un-electrified Chiltern Main Line. The slow lines are between the fast lines, and the two intermediate stations have island platforms.[32] Harrow-on-the-Hill has platforms on all six lines.[32] The central slow lines diverge here at a grade-separated junction to become the 7.5 miles (12.1 km) Uxbridge branch. After West Harrow, at Rayners Lane the line is joined by the Piccadilly line, which shares the tracks to Uxbridge; a turnback siding allows some Piccadilly line services to terminate at Rayners Lane.[32][33]

On the main line between Harrow-on-the-Hill and Moor Park tube station, the line is four-track, paired by use. The western fast tracks are shared with Chiltern line services from Marylebone; the eastern slow tracks have platforms at the intermediate stations. There is access at Watford triangle to the Watford branch.[32] This double-track branch has stations at Croxley and Watford,[32] but in 2018 the Croxley Rail Link is scheduled to open, involving the closure of Watford station and diversion of the line to Watford Junction via Watford High Street.[34] From the Watford triangle to Amersham the line has two tracks. At Chalfont & Latimer the 3.89 miles (6.26 km) single-track Chesham branch diverges, running parallel to the main line for a distance.[29][32] The Metropolitan line ends at Amersham, where there are turnback sidings just beyond the platforms. The route continues to Aylesbury with Chiltern Railways trains only.[35]

The fast lines north of Harrow and all lines north of Rickmansworth are signalled with LUL signalling, but using four-aspect Network Rail signal heads.[36] The upper two lights are a two-aspect stop signal displaying either a green or red aspect, the lower two lights a repeater signal for the next stop signal ahead showing a green or yellow aspect, or no aspect when the stop signal shows a red aspect. Thus they are effectively four-light three-aspect signals with green/red/green/yellow lights from the top, danger being a single red light, caution the top green light over a yellow light, and clear two green lights.[36]

Services

The Metropolitan Line is the only line to operate express service, though currently this is only southbound in the morning peaks and northbound in the evening peaks(Monday to Friday).

The off-peak service in trains per hour (tph) presently consists of:[40]

The morning peak service in trains per hour (tph) presently consists of:[41]

Note that southbound fast and semi-fast trains return as northbound all stations services in the morning peak with the same frequency.

The evening peak service in trains per hour (tph) presently consists of:[42]

Note that norththbound fast and semi-fast trains return as southbound all stations services in the evening peak with the same frequency.

Rolling stock

S8 Stock running between Finchley Road and Kilburn

Since 26 September 2012 all services have been provided by eight-car S Stock trains[43] introduced in July 2010 to replace the A Stock.[44] Part of Bombardier's Movia family, they have air-conditioning, feasible because the sub-surface tunnels, unlike tube tunnels, are able to disperse the exhausted hot air.[45][46] They have regenerative brakes, returning around 20% of their energy to the network and thus reducing energy consumption.[47]

With a top speed of 62 miles per hour (100 km/h),[45] they have fewer seats — 306 compared with 448 in the A Stock — but accommodate 697 standing passengers compared with 597 in A Stock[note 1] and have dedicated space for wheelchairs.[48] It is planned to increase the traction voltage from the present nominal 630 V to 750 V to give better performance and allow the trains to return more energy to the network through their regenerative brakes.[49]

Depot

Main article: Neasden Depot

The line is served by a depot at Neasden.[note 2] The Metropolitan Railway opened a carriage works at Neasden in 1882 and the following year the locomotive works were moved from Edgware Road.[50] In 1904–05 the depot was refitted to take the new electric multiple units[51] and accommodation enlarged in 1932–3.[52] After the amalgamation into the LTPB, the depot was rebuilt from 1936 to 1939. The depot was upgraded in 2010–11 to make it suitable for maintenance of S Stock trains.[53] Trains are also stabled overnight at Uxbridge, Watford, Rickmansworth and Wembley Park.[54]

Steam on the Met

LMS Black 5 44932 at Amersham in 1992

In 1989, to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the opening of the Metropolitan to Chesham, the first Steam on the Met event took place with London Underground running two weekends of steam specials between Chesham and Watford.[55] The event was a success and so in 1990 London Underground ran steam between Harrow and Amersham. In 1992, to celebrate 100 years of the Met at Amersham, the event was extended to five days at the end of May. From 1994, diesel locomotive 20227, owned by the Class 20 Locomotive Society, and electric locomotive Sarah Siddons provided air braking for the coaches. In 1995 trains ran between Amersham and Watford.[56]

Engines used included BR standard class 5 and BR standard class 4 and GWR Pannier tanks. There was other rolling stock on static display at Rickmansworth sidings. The steam trains ran between normal Metropolitan and main line services. Due to the imminent partial privatisation of LUL and the stock condition, the last steam excursion took place in 2000. In 2008, special trains ran on using Metropolitan Railway electric locomotive "Sarah Siddons" and diesel Class 20 locomotives.[57]

To celebrate the 150th anniversary of the opening of the Metropolitan, special services ran in January 2013 using a restored 1892 "Jubilee" carriage, 1898–1900 Ashbury and Cravens bogie carriages, Metropolitan Railway milk van No.3, Metropolitan Railway E Class steam locomotive No. 1 and electric locomotive "Sarah Siddons".[58] Further events are planned in 2013 for Locomotive No. 1, "Sarah Siddons" and the Jubilee carriage, including a Steam back on the Met scheduled for May.[59]

Future

Diagram of the Croxley rail link proposal

Sub-surface railway upgrade

With the introduction of S Stock, the track, electrical supply and signalling systems are being upgraded in a programme planned to increase peak-hour capacity on the line by 27 per cent by the end of 2018.[60][61][62] A single control room for the sub-surface railway is to be established in Hammersmith, and an automatic train control (ATC) system will replace signalling equipment installed from the 1940s.[60][63] Trackside signals with Automatic Train Protection (ATP) will remain on the line north of Harrow-on-the-Hill, shared with Chiltern Railways DMUs.[60] It was planned that the new signalling system would be used first on the line north of Baker Street from the end of 2016,[60] but the signalling contractor Bombardier was released by agreement in December 2013 and London Underground are looking for a replacement.[64] The project has been very unpopular, as seats were reduced by a third after the S-stock were introduced without a compensating increase in train services or line speeds.

Main article: Croxley Rail Link

The Watford Branch is planned to be rerouted from the current terminus over the disused Croxley Green branch line to Watford Junction. Funding was agreed in December 2011,[65] and the necessary permission was granted by the Government in July 2013.[66] Construction work is expected to span from June 2016 to January 2020.[34][67]

List of stations

Open stations

In order from east to west.

Station Image Opened[14] Branch Additional information Position
Aldgate 18 November 1876 Circle Terminus 51°30′50″N 000°04′34″W / 51.51389°N 0.07611°W / 51.51389; -0.07611 (01 - Aldgate tube station)
Liverpool Street 12 July 1875 Circle Originally Bishopsgate, renamed 1 November 1909 51°31′07″N 000°04′53″W / 51.51861°N 0.08139°W / 51.51861; -0.08139 (02 - Liverpool Street station)
Moorgate 23 December 1865 Circle Originally Moorgate Street, renamed 24 October 1924 51°31′07″N 000°05′19″W / 51.51861°N 0.08861°W / 51.51861; -0.08861 (03 - Moorgate station)
Barbican 23 December 1865 Circle Originally Aldersgate Street, renamed Aldersgate 1910, Aldersgate and Barbican 1923, Barbican 1968 51°31′13″N 000°05′52″W / 51.52028°N 0.09778°W / 51.52028; -0.09778 (04 - Barbican tube station)
Farringdon 10 January 1863 Circle Resited 22 December 1865. Originally Farringdon Street, renamed Farringdon & High Holborn 1922, Farringon 1936 51°31′12″N 000°06′19″W / 51.52000°N 0.10528°W / 51.52000; -0.10528 (05 - Farringdon station)
King's Cross St Pancras 10 January 1863 Circle Station resited 1941. Originally King's Cross, renamed King's Cross & St Pancras 1925, King's Cross St Pancras 1933. 51°31′49″N 000°07′27″W / 51.53028°N 0.12417°W / 51.53028; -0.12417 (06 - King's Cross St. Pancras tube station)
Euston Square 10 January 1863 Circle Originally Gower Street, renamed 1909 51°31′33″N 000°08′09″W / 51.52583°N 0.13583°W / 51.52583; -0.13583 (07 - Euston Square tube station)
Great Portland Street 10 January 1863 Circle Originally Portland Road, renamed Great Portland Street 1917, Great Portland Street & Regent's Park 1923, Great Portland Street 1933 51°31′26″N 000°08′38″W / 51.52389°N 0.14389°W / 51.52389; -0.14389 (08 - Great Portland Street tube station)
Baker Street 10 January 1863 Main
line
Metropolitan line platforms date from 1868 51°31′19″N 000°09′25″W / 51.52194°N 0.15694°W / 51.52194; -0.15694 (09 - Baker Street tube station)
Finchley Road 30 June 1879 Main
line
Finchley Road (South Hampstead) from 1885 to 191451°32′50″N 000°10′49″W / 51.54722°N 0.18028°W / 51.54722; -0.18028 (10 - Finchley Road tube station)
Wembley Park 12 May 1894 Main
line
51°33′49″N 000°16′46″W / 51.56361°N 0.27944°W / 51.56361; -0.27944 (11 - Wembley Park tube station)
Preston Road 21 May 1908 Main
line
Resited 1931/2 51°34′20″N 000°17′43″W / 51.57222°N 0.29528°W / 51.57222; -0.29528 (12 - Preston Road tube station)
Northwick Park 28 June 1923 Main
line
Originally Northwick Park & Kenton, renamed 1937 51°34′43″N 000°19′07″W / 51.57861°N 0.31861°W / 51.57861; -0.31861 (13 - Northwick Park tube station)
Harrow-on-the-Hill 2 August 1880 Main
line
Originally Harrow, renamed 1894 51°34′46″N 000°20′13″W / 51.57944°N 0.33694°W / 51.57944; -0.33694 (14 - Harrow-on-the-Hill station)
West Harrow 17 November 1913 Uxbridge 51°34′47″N 000°21′12″W / 51.57972°N 0.35333°W / 51.57972; -0.35333 (15 - West Harrow tube station)
Rayners Lane 26 May 1906 Uxbridge 51°34′31″N 000°22′17″W / 51.57528°N 0.37139°W / 51.57528; -0.37139 (16 - Rayners Lane tube station)
Eastcote 26 May 1906 Uxbridge 51°34′36″N 000°23′49″W / 51.57667°N 0.39694°W / 51.57667; -0.39694 (17 - Eastcote tube station)
Ruislip Manor 5 August 1912 Uxbridge 51°34′24″N 000°24′45″W / 51.57333°N 0.41250°W / 51.57333; -0.41250 (18 - Ruislip Manor tube station)
Ruislip 4 July 1904 Uxbridge 51°34′17″N 000°25′16″W / 51.57139°N 0.42111°W / 51.57139; -0.42111 (19 - Ruislip tube station)
Ickenham 25 September 1905 Uxbridge 51°33′43″N 000°26′31″W / 51.56194°N 0.44194°W / 51.56194; -0.44194 (20 - Ickenham tube station)
Hillingdon 10 December 1923 Uxbridge Renamed Hillingdon (Swakeleys) 1934, suffix gradually dropped. Resited and rebuilt 1992 51°33′14″N 000°27′00″W / 51.55389°N 0.45000°W / 51.55389; -0.45000 (21 - Hillingdon tube station)
Uxbridge 4 July 1904 Uxbridge Station resited from Belmont Road in 1938
Terminus
51°32′45″N 000°28′42″W / 51.54583°N 0.47833°W / 51.54583; -0.47833 (22 - Uxbridge tube station)
North Harrow 22 March 1915 Main
line
51°35′06″N 000°21′45″W / 51.58500°N 0.36250°W / 51.58500; -0.36250 (23 - North Harrow tube station)
Pinner 25 May 1885 Main
line
51°35′34″N 000°22′50″W / 51.59278°N 0.38056°W / 51.59278; -0.38056 (24 - Pinner tube station)
Northwood Hills 13 November 1933 Main
line
51°36′02″N 000°24′33″W / 51.60056°N 0.40917°W / 51.60056; -0.40917 (25 - Northwood Hills tube station)
Northwood 1 September 1887 Main
line
The last station within Greater London 51°36′39″N 000°25′28″W / 51.61083°N 0.42444°W / 51.61083; -0.42444 (26 - Northwood tube station)
Moor Park 9 May 1910 Main
line
Originally Sandy Lodge, renamed Moor Park & Sandy Lodge 18 October 1923, Moor Park 25 September 1950 51°37′47″N 000°25′58″W / 51.62972°N 0.43278°W / 51.62972; -0.43278 (27 - Moor Park tube station)
Croxley 2 November 1925 Watford Originally Croxley Green, renamed 23 May 1949 51°38′51″N 000°26′29″W / 51.64750°N 0.44139°W / 51.64750; -0.44139 (28 - Croxley tube station)
Watford 2 November 1925 Watford Terminus 51°39′27″N 000°25′03″W / 51.65750°N 0.41750°W / 51.65750; -0.41750 (29 - Watford tube station)
Rickmansworth 1 September 1887 Main
line
51°38′25″N 000°28′24″W / 51.64028°N 0.47333°W / 51.64028; -0.47333 (30 - Rickmansworth station)
Chorleywood 8 July 1889 Main
line
Originally Chorley Wood, renamed Chorley Wood & Chenies 1 November 1915, Chorley Wood 1934, Chorleywood 1964 51°39′15″N 000°31′06″W / 51.65417°N 0.51833°W / 51.65417; -0.51833 (31 - Chorleywood station)
Chalfont & Latimer 8 July 1889 Main
line
Originally Chalfont Road, renamed 1 November 1915 51°40′04″N 000°33′40″W / 51.66778°N 0.56111°W / 51.66778; -0.56111 (32 - Chalfont & Latimer station)
Chesham 8 July 1889 Chesham Terminus 51°42′19″N 000°36′41″W / 51.70528°N 0.61139°W / 51.70528; -0.61139 (33 - Chesham tube station)
Amersham 1 September 1892 Main
line
Renamed Amersham & Chesham Bois 12 March 1922, Amersham 1937
Terminus
51°40′27″N 000°36′27″W / 51.67417°N 0.60750°W / 51.67417; -0.60750 (34 - Amersham station)

Former stations

A 1924 map of the Brill and Verney Junction branches
LT loco L92 at Croxley tip in 1969

The Brill Tramway with stations Waddesdon Road, Westcott, Wotton, Church Siding, Wood Siding and Brill closed in 1935. In the following year the line was cut back to Aylesbury, with Waddesdon station and Granborough Road, Winslow Road stations on the line to Verney Junction closing.[14] Initially Verney Junction and Quainton Road remained open, with main line services provided by the LNER.

In 1939 the Stanmore branch and the stopping service between Finchley Road and Wembley Park were transferred to the Bakerloo line. On the St John's Wood section, Lord's and Marlborough Road stations were replaced by St. John's Wood, and Swiss Cottage replaced the Metropolitan line station.[12][14] The Bakerloo line service to Stanmore was transferred to the Jubilee line when that line opened in 1979.[13]

In 1961, when steam locomotives were replaced and the line was electrified to Amersham, the Underground service to Great Missenden, Wendover, Stoke Mandeville and Aylesbury was withdrawn.[14]

Goods-only branches

Between Moor Park and Croxley, a short branch ran south-east off the Watford branch near its junction with the main line to Croxley Tip, a rubbish dump beside the Grand Union Canal. This site began as a gravel loading point before becoming used by the railway to dump waste such as old ballast and waste from Neasden power station. This route, never used for passenger traffic, continued to be used by London Transport's small fleet of steam engines until 1971, when diesels replaced them. The branch closed some time after this, although a section of the spur line remained visible from a passing train.

A second short branch line, known as the Halton Railway, served RAF Halton near Wendover, across the Wendover Arm of the Grand Union Canal. The line was built during the First World War and closed in 1963.[68] The trackbed is now a footpath.[69]

Although not operated by Metropolitan passenger services, the line from South Harrow to Rayners Lane was built by the Metropolitan railway as the District Railway was in financial difficulties at the time. This included a short branch on viaduct to a gas works, part of which is still visible. Other minor freight connections along the line once included connections to the Midland main line at Finchley Road.

A single-track spur from a small yard between Ickenham and Ruislip stations connects to Ruislip Depot of the Central line. This line is used for engineering and empty stock transfers, although occasional plans suggest extending the Central line into Uxbridge by upgrading the connection. It was built in 1973.

References

Footnotes

Notes

  1. "Performance: LU Performance Data Almanac". Transport for London. 2011/12. Retrieved 17 January 2013. Check date values in: |date= (help)
  2. Green 1987, pp. 3–5.
  3. Edwards, Dennis; Pigram, Ron (1988). The Golden Years of the Metropolitan Railway and the Metro-land Dream. Bloomsbury. p. 32. ISBN 1-870630-11-4.
  4. Bobrick, Benson (1981). Labyrinths of Iron. Newsweek books. p. 142.
  5. Green 1987, pp. 7–10.
  6. Green 1987, pp. 11–14.
  7. Green 1987, pp. 24–26.
  8. "A Trip on the Metropolitan Railway (1910)". Screen Online. British Film Institute. Retrieved 25 January 2016.
  9. Green 1987, pp. 43–45.
  10. Green 1987, pp. 46–48.
  11. Horne 2003, p. 69.
  12. 1 2 Green 1987, p. 51.
  13. 1 2 Green 1987, p. 63.
  14. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Rose, Douglas (December 2007) [1980]. The London Underground: A Diagrammatic History (8th ed.). London: Capital Transport. ISBN 978-1-85414-315-0.
  15. Bruce 1983, pp. 72–74.
  16. Bruce 1983, pp. 78–81.
  17. Green 1987, p. 55.
  18. Bruce 1983, p. 110.
  19. Bruce 1983, p. 113.
  20. Croome, Desmond F.; Jackson, Alan Arthur (1993). Rails Through the Clay: A History of London's Tube Railways. Capital Transport. p. 468. ISBN 978-1-85414-151-4.
  21. "London Underground map 1968". The London Tube map archive. Retrieved 21 November 2012.
  22. "London Underground map 1970". The London Tube map archive. Retrieved 21 November 2012.
  23. "London Underground map 1985". The London Tube map archive. Retrieved 21 November 2012.
  24. 1 2 "London Underground map 1990". The London Tube map archive. Retrieved 21 November 2012.
  25. "PPP Performance Report" (PDF). Transport for London. 2009/10. pp. 7–8. Retrieved 7 March 2012. Check date values in: |date= (help)
  26. "Chesham trains to run direct into Central London" (Press release). Transport for London. 7 December 2010. Retrieved 12 December 2013.
  27. "A Stock last day on the Metropolitan Line". Railways Today. 26 September 2012. Retrieved 2 November 2012.
  28. "Last A stock rail tour". London Transport Museum. Retrieved 27 September 2012.
  29. 1 2 "Key facts". Transport for London. Retrieved 22 November 2012.
  30. Martin, Andrew (2012). Underground, Overground: A Passenger's History of the Tube. London: Profile Books. pp. 137–138. ISBN 978-1-84765-807-4. Retrieved 7 December 2012.
  31. "Metropolitan line facts". Transport for London. Retrieved 23 November 2012.
  32. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Detailed London Transport Map". carto.metro.free.fr. Retrieved 23 November 2012.
  33. Horne 2003, p. x.
  34. 1 2 "Croxley Rail Link". Transport for London. Retrieved 23 November 2012.
  35. "Amersham/Chesham tube guide" (PDF). Transport for London. Retrieved 9 December 2013.
  36. 1 2 Kichenside, G.M.; Williams, Alan. British Railway Signalling. p. 72.
  37. http://content.tfl.gov.uk/wtt-339-metropolitan.pdf
  38. http://content.tfl.gov.uk/wtt-339-metropolitan.pdf
  39. http://content.tfl.gov.uk/wtt-339-metropolitan.pdf
  40. http://content.tfl.gov.uk/wtt-339-metropolitan.pdf
  41. http://content.tfl.gov.uk/wtt-339-metropolitan.pdf
  42. http://content.tfl.gov.uk/wtt-339-metropolitan.pdf
  43. "Commissioner's Report" (PDF). Board Meeting Documents. paragraph 3.2: Transport for London. 20 September 2012. Retrieved 27 September 2012.
  44. Waboso, David (December 2010). "Transforming the tube". Modern Railways. London. pp. 42–45.
  45. 1 2 "Metro — London, United Kingdom". Bombardier. Retrieved 27 January 2011.
  46. "'S' stock making its mark". Modern Railways. London. December 2010. p. 46.
  47. "Transforming the Tube" (PDF). Transport for London. July 2008. Retrieved 28 May 2009.
  48. "S stock". Transport for London. Retrieved 10 January 2012. (Note: The table erroneously says "Length per car", instead of "Length per train".)
  49. Jackson 1986, pp. 82–82.
  50. Jackson 1986, p. 176.
  51. Jackson 1986, p. 281.
  52. "Works begin to build new maintenance facility at Neasden Depot". Transport for London. 28 September 2010. Retrieved 11 February 2011.
  53. "London Underground Key Facts". Transport for London. Retrieved 21 May 2008.
  54. metroland.org.uk. "Steam on the Met".
  55. King, Geoffrey. "Steam on the Met".
  56. "Not quite Steam on the Met". peat.me.uk. 30 August 2008. Retrieved 24 November 2011.
  57. "Past Events - tube 150". London Transport Museum. Retrieved 4 February 2013.
  58. "Vehicles on the Move" (Press release). London Transport Museum. Retrieved 4 February 2013.
  59. 1 2 3 4 Abbott, James (January 2013). "Sub-surface renewal". Modern Railways. pp. 38–41.
  60. "Our Upgrade Plan" (PDF). Transport for London. February 2011. Retrieved 7 December 2012.
  61. "Tube Upgrade Plan: Metropolitan line". Transport for London. Retrieved 18 June 2011.
  62. Stewart, Rob (January 2013). "Cityflo 650 to control the SSR". Modern Railways. pp. 42–43.
  63. "London Underground and Bombardier agree to re-let signalling contract" (Press release). Transport for London. 31 December 2013. Retrieved 2 January 2014.
  64. "Transport schemes given £854m in government funding". BBC News. 14 December 2011. Retrieved 14 December 2011.
  65. "Watford Metropolitan line Tube extension gets go-ahead". BBC News. 24 July 2013. Retrieved 24 July 2013.
  66. "Metropolitan line Extension". Retrieved 19 November 2015.
  67. "Halton Railway". RAF Halton. MOD. Retrieved 6 September 2015.
  68. The Wendover Arm: Linear and Circular Walks (PDF). Aylesbury: Buckinghamshire County Council. Retrieved 6 September 2015.

Sources

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